Lincoln Speedway proposes 13-night 2026 season, opens April 3

Adam Mackey presented the Lincoln Speedway's tentative 2026 racing schedule and highlighted plans to reopen on Friday, April 3. "We open up Friday, April 3 for our first race of the season," Mackey said, adding the schedule includes 13 nights of racing, two Saturday test-and-tune sessions in March (weather permitting), a June Sunday Summer Nationals event and a three-day season-ending show with two racing days and one practice day.

Why it matters: The schedule affects downtown traffic, noise and tourism draws for several summer weekends. Mackey said last year’s season had strong fields and fan turnout, with the May Castro Flow night and the Summer Nationals among the highest-attendance dates.

Council questions and operations: Council members queried Mackey about how often races ran past the allotted time and what causes delays. Mackey said overruns were measured in minutes rather than hours and that the track has a 90-minute annual allowance for overages; he cited nights that ended at about 10:33 p.m. and 10:35 p.m. and explained that incidents such as catch-fence damage or multi-car wrecks are the main drivers of extended race nights.

Community and assistance: When asked whether the city could help, Mackey cited local business sponsorships and fan support as key contributors to attendance and said many competitors and fans come from nearby communities, while some drivers and fans are from Lincoln. He expressed satisfaction with recent community engagement and asked for continued support.

Next steps: The council placed the item on the regular agenda for formal consideration.